Dowager Queen
by skywalker05
Summary: Before the Rebellion, before the Old Order, before KOTOR there was the Dowager Queen's mission to the world that will be called Tatooine, and the Jedi, scientists and civilians that would conquer that world.
1. 1

_To the readers: this is a pretty random 'fic I thought would be cool to do, but I'm working on a lot so it probably won't be updated very quickly, or as quickly as TAS, whichever. Reviews are appreciated, flames will be ignored. Disclaimer: George hasn't gotten back to me about that copyright thing, so this is his._

Star Wars: Dowager Queen

It is a glorious time for the Republic. Expansion and exploration have unified the species of the galaxy into a conglomerate of Core worlds. The Galactic Senate, made of up representatives from every intelligent culture, rule over a peaceful society policed by the powerful and mysterious Jedi Knights.

Within the Jedi Order, peaceful relations and everyday revelations in xenology and Force science mask a growing danger. A theory among some of the older Masters, stating that the Force should not be used to protect the Republic government but only to promote pure life is prompting many to leave.

In the remote Tatoo system, a follower of this belief and his young Padawan join an exploration and first-contact crew to seek out a habitable or profitable planet...

Brendon Kale watched his reflection, filmy thin light representing a human face, short blond hair, spiky Padawan's braid lying across his cheek next to green eyes. Bren's eyes were green in the way beautiful blue was blue, crystal and silver backing the dominant hue Outside numerous layers of transparisteel stars were pinpricks of white glimmer shining through the gossamer figure.

Jedi Master Thrait Julius observed his apprentice stare with a detached interest, wondering what he was thinking under the mind levels capable of being touched by the Force. He was a dark-skinned human with black hair and the beginning of a beard, wearing clothes typical of the Jedi. His expression went from contemplative to commanding as he turned and called to the ship's pilot, "Make the colonists ready. I want to be planetside by1600 hours."

The Baragwin pilot stretched her hands across the computer consoles, her face hidden by the bulge of her back. "Yes Captain." There was just a hint of disgust in her sense, maybe from the Jedi's commandeering–many credits paid for the service, of course–of the mission, or a simple dislike of humans. _Aliens,_ Thrait thought. There was, besides the humans and Baragwin, two Duros and a Aryou in the small cockpit, all, it was presumed, with the universal drive to expand their territory.

"The approach will begin soon, captain, though there is definite atmospheric disturbance near the surface of the planet, sir."

"Relax." Thrait smiled. "Just do the best you can."

There was just a hint of relief in the Baragwin's sense.

The ship was called the _Dowager Queen_, a dark hulled space cruiser that had withstood supply and colony runs since the beginning of the expansion movement. Thrait's government money had hired the ship and its crew to mine the world in the Tatoo system known as T-01138.

The ship slipped under the first clouds of 01138 as the primary sun was at its highest and the secondary a few degrees behind. The cloud white splashed by colors flashing off the _Queen_'s shields gave way to clear air and endless rolling tan ground. From the preliminary surveys the planet was deserts all around with pockets of life scattered about. Untapped and unknown wealth was an almost palpable possibility beneath the sensor-scrambling sand.

Thrait Julius placed one hand on his apprentice's shoulder, each watching out the same small viewport. "Welcome to our new world, Bren."

Brendon said nothing.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't think we should have left the Temple, Master."

"And why not?"

"Jedi do good at the Temple. Not out on some Rim planet."

"Bren, here we can do the greater good. Not just for ourselves or individuals but for the whole galaxy, for the Force itself! We will be changing history, putting this planet on the charts."

Brendon muttered something. Thrait moved away, confidant that letting his Padawan deal with his emotions on his own was the best thing to do for him. It had worked for Thrait, when he was young. Such a long time ago. The Jedi almost laughed to himself. There was a whole new world waiting for them, full of untapped riches. Any sentient would be nervous, confused. But all would resolve in time. The Force wanted them here, so here they would stay.


	2. 2

1_Short chapter...this probably won't get finished. mindtrick You will read my OFs! _

Brendon Kale scratched at a sharp-edged grain of sand near his neck, wishing there were some way to dispel the nagging, cloying, Sith-cursed dry heat. Master Thrait stood in the shade near the cargo ramp of the hulking _Dowager Queen, _seemingly unconcerned with the heat, directing orders, here to a droid, there to a jumpsuit-clad worker. Brendon had squeezed himself into the tiny shade slanting between the enormous ramp and a crate, which he had sat himself on to take the ache out of his legs. Even with the Force this work was tiring–there were three pre-fab shelters up, seemingly a thousand to go.

In front of him where the first shelters were outlining what would be the main street of a village spidery droids tugged at supports and another shelter bloomed into shape, now a lumpy polygon, now a rectangle, now doors and windows coalescing out of the permeable material the thing was fashioned from. There wasn't much work for the Padawan to do, at least not yet. He felt uncharacteristically moody, almost angry at the universe, under the bright-burning suns. He had had friends at the Temple, good people with whom he could share his dynamic feelings when the Force and the Code could not wash them away. But here there was just Master Thrait, who would never listen if Brendon told him that he thought his plans were stupid.

Brendon kicked up a flurry of sand and watched it plume then hopelessly fall back into the anonymity of the ground.

With a ratcheting sound, the dark metal burrower scope dug itself out of sight under the tan sand. Wura M'kasipushed a small white flag into the ground next to the hole it left behind and wiped beads of sweat off her forehead. She was a young Duros; this Tatoo system colony was her first job as a planetary geologist. It would be she who discovered whatever valuable material this planet could offer.

Wura straightened up and pushed the sleeves of her flightsuit back, baring green-black muscled arms shining with sun repellant. White flags dotted about around her marked burrower sites all along the sand. The main colony was only on the other side of a rise; talking in numerous languages and machine noises ruined solitude. This was better than the ship, where there was no quiet at all, people all crowded together for weeks. Wura didn't like people; she preferred rocks.

The job of placing the burrowers done, Wura began back up the hill of sand. Each foot sank in a little way.

_We should have brought twice as much water. _She thought. _I myself could drink all those tanks they brought out of the ship._

The toe of her boot hit against something hard, her center of gravity was off and she fell forward. Her hands buried to the wrists in the sand and burned and Wura yanked them out and shook them, wincing, then looked down at the little hard thing.

It was like a planet, but more probably an animal. Five or six green and red tentacles surrounded a rough mouth-like base in the sand, the tentacles waving slightly. Wura hesitantly picked the thing up by a tentacle. It didn't seem to notice. Joice, her xenobiologist friend, might find this interesting.


End file.
